Eat Bulaga!

Eat Bulaga! is the longest running noon-time variety show in the Philippines produced by Television And Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE) and aired by GMA Network. The show broadcasts from The New TAPE Studios (Eastside Studio) at the GMA Broadway Centrum in New Manila, Quezon City. Eat Bulaga! is aired Weekdays at 12:00 NN to 2:40 PM and Saturdays at 11:30 AM to 2:40 PM (PHT). The show is also broadcast worldwide through GMA Pinoy TV. The name approximately translates to "Lunchtime Surprise!".

The show celebrated its 36th year on Philippine television on July 30, 2015, holding the record of being the longest-running noontime variety program on air in the history of Philippine television.

Its first overseas franchise is Eat Bulaga! Indonesia, which currently airs on Indonesia's ANTV Network, and premiered on Indonesia's SCTV Network on July 16, 2012 .Eat Bulaga! became the first Philippine show to be franchised by another country.

History

The RPN years (1979–89)

Production Specialists, Inc., a company owned by Romy Jalosjos, brought the idea of creating a noontime show for Radio Philippines Network (RPN). Antonio Tuviera, who was working for the company, thought that the comic troika of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon, better known as TVJ (who had gained fame through GMA Network's Discorama and as pinch-hitters for Student Canteen, but subsequently left both), would be the perfect hosts for the new program. At a meeting at the InterContinental Manila parking lot (now closed), Tuviera made the offer to them; they accepted.